November Rain

 It’s beginning to rain
The drops on windowsill
A chilly cavalcade
 
There I was typing away,
My journal full of crap
And knowing it was substandard work
I need a break before editing
 
Put on a black tee and
Roll up my jeans
Peel off my socks
Then trot downstairs
To twirl a bit in the tiny halo
Of light shining on the lawn and sidewalk
Before I sit on the concrete front steps
Soaking up the rain like a thirsty tomato plant
 
And singing
I’m Singing in the Rain, just singing in the rain
It’s Beginning to Rain, Rain, Rain
Waiter! Bring Me Water!
Like the Rain, I have fallen for you
so Bring on the Rain
 
And I pause to talk
As people came back from night classes
Or caf shifts or practices of various sorts
 
Then the country vibe continues
She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy
In John Deere Green--
My RA’s favorite song as she walks by
Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House
When God-Fearing Women get the Blues
even Desperado
 
And when my muddy, frozen feet demand
A return to the warmth within
I look over my journal
And all I see is Dixie Chicks
Wide Open Spaces and Let It Rip
Somehow I doubt Professor Vandermuelen
Will be impressed
I better get back to work

Snowy Waste

The whole world shines today,
Brilliant in the sun.
Every naked tree is dressed
In jeweled splendor translucent;
Every white flake of snow--
Covered in diamonds,
Radiant.
 
It hurts my eyes.
 
For I cannot see the beauty
In this world of light.
The diamonds seem only
Cold.
Hard.
Cruel.
 
It is an abyss--
Empty and cold—
Into which I must surely fall.
 
I stumble forward,
Hunched over ‘neath a mountain of sorrow.
Gagging on my emotions.
My heart—
Tis savagely ripped from my chest
While still beating.
How can one survive
Such a chasm in one’s self?
 
 Surely I am as good as dead,
When my torn heart lies in the casket
With my true friend.
 
The wind blows cold,
But gentle--
A farewell kiss upon my cheek
As the person I was
Departs this world forever.
For surely I shall never be again
As I was before.

Snow Delay

The 5 am text is annoying
But as soon as I read it,
I smile.
Once in a while,
It's wonderful
To turn the alarm back
Roll over and sleep
Two more hours.
 
But if I sleep through it,
I am not annoyed
Until I arrive
At an empty parking lot
Two hours early.
And then I have to
Fight my way home again
Through the weather. 

Smile

Whether it's a gentle upturn
At the corner of her lips
Or the face alight with joy
Buried into your hip
 
Whether it's the high, ringing laughter
Floating from a gaping grin
Or the flash of white teeth
'Tween dimpled cheeks and chin
 
Whether it's the twinkling eyes
In a face that's not quite straight
Or the look of love, of joy you're here,
Even if you're late...
 
There's nothing at all
Quite like a smile
To make what you're doing
Feel worthwile
 

Sandbagging

Sandbags
Are not enough
To hold back the
Raging cascade of
Disease-causing muck
Sweeping over the riverbanks
And breaking through levies
 
And no self-erected barrier
Can hold back
Our consciences
Forever
God’s gentle remonstrances
Will break through our lies
Just as surely
 
In the end,
Sandbagging
A building
Or a heart
Is futile


*If you're wondering why this is marked "current events", it's because it was written during the floods of 2008, at which point in time the sandbags were very much a physical presence in Iowa City.

Seasons

Spring daffodils burst up suddenly
Summer dragonflies hover by a pond
Fall pumpkins laugh a blackened chortle
Winter windows gleam crystal in the sun

So What Could I Do?

a hymn of praise and worship

So what could I do?

And what could I say?
Trying to earn
What you gave away
I guess that I'm glad
That you made it free
'Cause that's the only way
It could ever come to me
'Cause I could never repay
What You did for me that day
When you gave it all away
You gave Your life away--

 (repeat twice)

 
So what can I do?
And what can I say?
I'll give You every day
I'll live my life in praise
To You

Thank You, Lord, For Bethlehem

(tune: "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come)

Thank You, Lord, for Bethlehem, Immanuel to dwell with men

Thank You, Lord, for Galilee, Teacher walking here with me
Thank You, Lord, for Calvary, Savior come to set me free
Thank You, for the Empty Tomb: promise of a home with You

 

Song of Thanksgiving

(tune: "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come)

Lord, before Your throne I come, grateful for the gifts You've giv'n;
Family and friends that care; ever all my burdens share;
Clothes and shelter, daily feed, You provide my ev'ry need;
Thank You, Lord for all of these: blessings raining down from heav'n.

Yet gas, money, and paid bills do not my every need fulfill
For my heart needs cleansing pow'r; Lord, I need it ev'ry hour

Only You and You alone can ever for my sins atone
Thank You, God for coming here as my Savior to appear.

Love-, grace, and mercy are greatest of Your gifts by far:

Let me ever grateful be for the chance to dwell with Thee
Here on earth as well as heav'n, through Your Holy Spirit giv'n
Your great Presence to provide: all my needs You have supplied

Turkey with Cranberries

Here's a little ditty I made up for my preschoolers several years ago... you can add more verses yourself if you like.

Turkey with Cranberries

Sung to:  Frere Jacques

 

Turkey with cranberries

Is what we eat

Every Thanksgiving

Yum, yum, yum

 

 

Other Verses: (just replace the first line)

1. Turkey with cranberries (is)
2. Mashed potatoes (are)
3. Corn and squash (are)
4. Candied yams (are)
5. Homemade biscuits (are)
6. Green bean casserole (is)
7. Apple Stuffing (is)
8. Pie and ice cream (are)

Fog

ev'rything obscured
this moist, misty morning
unsure where to go

Celebrate! Jesus Christ is Born!

(tune: "Jingle Bells")

(Yes, that's right.  I've started rewriting lyrics to Christmas songs.)

 

 

Celebrate!

Celebrate!
Jesus Christ is born!
What joy it is to meet with Him
On this Christmas morn!
 
Jesus is alive
And here with me today
Our Savior God with us--
That's why we celebrate!
He came from Heaven to earth
To us, God's gift of Love--
So we celebrate the birth
Of the King who reigns above!
 
Oh!  Celebrate!
Celebrate!
Jesus Christ is born!
What joy it is to meet with Him
On this Christmas morn! 

 

 

How Can You Be Alive?

How can You be alive
When just a couple days ago, we laid you in a tomb
How can You be alive
Here with us in this closed and locked-up room
I held Your broken body
As You were lowered from the cross
I watched You cry out, "It is finished!"
And I thought that all was lost
So how can You be alive?

Remind Me Again

utterly unique
one of a kind
pure and clean
good memories
shining radiance of fun
a gift from God
 
remind me again,
am I talking about snowflakes
or you?

To Fall Asleep

A hushed whisper in my ear
An indrawn breath is what I hear
Flowering scents and sweet flavors
All the things my tongue savors
Reach out to me, pull me into the stream
With the magnetic touch of a dream
 
I give in and fly away
With no more thoughts of the day
My every thought and wish ‘comes real
At least right now, that’s how I feel
Tomorrow I will wake anew
With no memory of what my mind drew

 

 

Solo Renga: Comfort

soft jersey tee and
purple plaid pajama pants
under a blanket

choco-hazelnut steamer
heaping bowl of ice cream

grilled cheese sandwiches
tomato soup, chili, beef stew
and flying saucers

gazing up into the sky
still don't see the Leonids

November-too cold
come back inside to curl up
under a blanket

I've Been Everywhere

Alamogordo and Albuquerque
O'Fallon and Orange City
Sioux Center, Lafayette,
And don't forget Shakopee
 
Cedar Rapids, Coralville,
3 houses in Cheyenne,
Chicksands and Dayton,
I can't even list where all I've been
 
I've lived under an umbrella
Used plastic bags to slide in the rain
Had a yard of rocks in the desert
Built snow castles on the plains
 
I've had Halloween cancelled for blizzards
I've worn shorts outside Christmas day
Left my doors unlocked in small towns
Visited castles in lands far away
 
I've looked down from the Top of the World cafe
I saw Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House
And watched Lanay with her styrofoam cup
From the computer lab evicting a field mouse
 
I've lived at an amusement park
And been a mosquito buffet
But no matter where I've lived
I thank God every day
 
That everywhere I go
He's right there beside me
Whether I'm out on the beach
Or watching snow fall gently

Rise Above

It's a simple phrase
One on the brink of cliché
 
You got to rise above it
 
It's that thing you do
When someone helps you to pull through
 
You got to rise above it
 
When trouble's got you down
And you're wearing a worried frown
 
You got to rise above it
 
Don't you know
What you've got to do,
Where you've got to go?
 
You got to rise above it
 
But where you gonna get your wings?

Rock Bottom

Before anyone starts freaking out about me, let me just say that while this is autobiographical, it isn't current... this poem is at least three years old, maybe older.

in a single apartment

I stare
 
empty cupboards,
empty fridge,
empty pockets
 
mind emptied
of creativity
the barrenness consumes me
 
might as well be
alone
out in the wilderness
the emptiness pressing in on me
like claustrophobia in an MRI tube
 
and the rain falls
the rain pours down
drenched
I huddle,
soaked to the bone
cold
 
colder than an ice cube
colder than a mountain snowpack
colder than space junk
 
never to be warm again
 
but when my ego
has frozen to death
I can reach up
for something greater then myself
Someone greater than myself
 
when I’ve hit rock bottom
that’s when it’s the clearest
how high I’ll be able to soar
when He gives me wings

Crownless Made King

They did it to wound Him
They did it to scorn
Piercing His brow
With a crown of thorns
 
But now those thorns
Have a special majesty
Bestowed by their wearer:
The King of Mercy
 
No silver circlet
Or diamond-studded crown
Can ever hope
To match them now
 
For the day approaches
When the heavens shall sing
All shall acclaim Him,
And the crownless again be made King

Renewed Shall Be Blade That Was Broken

They thought His power was broken
Because He did not save His own life
They did not realize the Word unspoken
Was a sword that would yet bring them strife
 
The Double-edged Sword justly makes war
His eyes are like blazing fire
He pierces the hearts and souls of men
To judge and punish their evil desire
 
Nothing is hidden, nothing withstands
The sword of righteousness in His hand
Over all creation in judgment He stands
Bringing truth and virtue to every land.
 
The trumpet shall sound, the Word be spoken
Justice enacted and scrolls unsealed
Reforged and renewed shall be blade that was broken
Injustice destroyed and humanity healed

From the Ashes, A Fire Shall Be Woken

Body broken, tumbled down
Cold wind whispers of despair
Wrapped in linen and laid in stone
No more His cries shall fill the air
 
Three days mourning the death of a king
Three days mourning the death of a friend
Three days mourning the death of a prophet
The hope He brought at an end
 
But thunder rumbles and the tomb is laid bare:
And only a folded cloth remains there
 
From the ashes, a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
A phoenix arises, conquering death
New life to all offering

Deep Roots

What seems forgotten may not be lost
For the forsaken, help comes hither
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not touched by the frost
 
From the Root of Jesse a shoot will grow
A Tree of Life come from the agéd root
To blossom and fill the world with fruit
Feeding all who take shelter below
 
Despised, without beauty or majesty
Battered, scarred, and blood-stained
By His Father's will only is He sustained
Indomitable stands the Root of Jesse 

 

All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

You might recognize the title of this poem; it's also the title of a poem used by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings.  Indeed, I've started a whole series of poems that are inspired by this poem; I hope to be posting them over the next week or so.  But for now, here's the first installment.

All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost
He traveled the road always knowing
It was headed for the cross
 
He had no beauty or majesty
That we should be mindful of Him
Popularity always is fleeting:
Palm branches turned to "Crucify Him!"
 
He stayed in humble cottages,
Laid His head by the side of the road
Stumbled under the weight of the world
But willingly carried the load
 
"Behold the Man!" Pilate cried
Can't you see His innocence shine?
Behold the man hanging blood-soaked
An offering for your sins and mine
 
All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
For the stone's rolled away from the empty tomb
The King not held by the cross

Bedtime Prayer

Dear Lord, I feel so utterly exhausted
My only prayer as I lay down in bed
Is please shut up the voices in my head
Bothering me, they do insist
On chanting always list after list
Of tasks still unaccomplished
So Lord, bless me with slumber deep
My mind in blissful silence keep
So I can finally get some sleep

November Wind

The wind sighs
The tree branches swish
The soft susurration of the leaves
A gentle lullaby
For the end of a autumn day
 
The wind howls
The rain pours down
The tree branches shake, rattle, crack
An angry exclamation
As the bleak winter morning breaks

Sacrifice

It doesn't take a sacrifice today
To bring me here to You
For I know that You are here right now
You've seen me through and through
And nowhere I have been this week
Has been apart from You
 
A sacrifice is giving when
It stretches your boundaries
It's giving something up,
Giving beyond your means
And none of that applies to me
As I stand here singing Your praise
But You desire more of me
You desire a life of righteousness, justice, and mercy

Like the Desert Misses the Rain

I said I missed you
Like the desert misses the rain
Now I'm looking at a flash flood
And I can't help thinking that
When the rain comes back to the desert
The desert can't handle it
And if you ever came back to me
I don't know what I'd do
 
Probably nothing
I'd be washed away

You Are of Infinite Worth

You are more than what we can sing
You are God and nothing we bring
Is fit for a King
So, search us and know deep in our souls
We praise You

You are of infinite worth
When we've not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we 're heard
When our hearts sing to You

You are more than words on our lips
We are poor, with nothing to give
But, we want to bring
More than the song we sing
To praise You, we praise You

You are of infinite worth
When we've not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we 're heard
When our hearts sing to You

It's You we engage
It's You we embrace
When our hearts sing

You are of infinite worth
When we've not the words
Our hearts will sing
We are here on the earth
And somehow we 're heard
When our hearts sing to You

Prayer

Praise God!
Request humbly
And submit myself to His will
Yearn for His heart and listen
Expect and accept His answers
Repeat